The Social Disconnect

I’ve been wanting to write about this for days, but I feel a bit intimidated by the amount of words I would have to type. I decided I’ll just say what I want to say now and if we need a part 2 then we’ll do that.

Technology. Technology and I have a truly hate/love relationship. I love how easy it makes some things and how much joy it brings me when it cooperates. However, sometimes it does not cooperate and it brings only grief and madness. Still, I keep it around and embrace it like little brother or something. I know, it’s weird.

Technology is a jealous, conniving little beast, though. It wants everybody for itself and doesn’t want to share. I know this because technology is drawing everybody into itself and away from their friends and families. These devices and networks that were initially designed to connect people is doing just the opposite.

This paragraph was initially going to be about Facebook (and social networking in general), but I’m going to save that for another day. Instead, this paragraph will be about smartphones, and I might only touch the surface, but I wanted to at least do that. Phones are devices that are meant to connect people. People can communicate to each other over long distances instantly. It’s an amazing technology. However, phones are disconnecting people in a profound way. Years ago, friends would gather together to enjoy each others’ company. They’d watch movies, play games, or just sit around and chat. This formula seems to have changed with the introduction of smartphones. People still gather together, but rather than enjoying each other, they plant their faces in their phones, doing… who knows? I couldn’t tell you how many times my personal social interaction with another person has been hijacked by a phone, or how many times I’ve been in a quiet room full of people playing with their wireless devices rather than enjoying each others’ company.

Well, that’s all I really have the energy for today. Trust me, though, I have plenty more to say on the topic.